Another great alternative that some areas are starting are the homeschool charters. We're incredibly lucky to have one in a school district near us, and we were able to get a signoff to jump the county line to join it. We have certified teachers who work closely with us (similarly to the YS consultants, but on a bi-weekly basis), and lots of optional workshops (writing, AIMS, spanish, art, etc). It's not an all-day class style like Kriston's family has, but it's a nice option because we can jump around with grade levels in the various workshops.

Since the charter is a public school, it is also free to attend. Best of all, the state $ allocated to our child gets spread much further than in a regular school, so they are able to buy us all the curriculum and special items I've asked for, including Usborne books, etc. They can also host a lot of field trips even though the regular schools no longer have the funding.

Every time I read an article where charter schools are attacked, I hold my breath. I don't know what we'd do without our charter, and it's so nice not to have to spend DSs' college savings and activity funds on private school tuition. I think California is leading the way on these. They're such a blessing for us that if you see one come up in your area, I encourage you to check them out!

HS Mom to DYS6 and DS2